A tow truck clears the wreckage from a single-car accident that resulted in an Elizabethton man's arrest. (Dave Boyd/Johnson City Press)

An Elizabethton man was arrested this week after he crashed his SUV into a concrete column while driving in Johnson City.

On Tuesday, Johnson City police arrested Matthew W. Boggs , 27, 137 High Tower Road, on suspicion that he was under the influence of medication before he drove into the column, located under the Interstate 26 overpass on East Unaka Avenue, between Oak and Elm streets, on Monday.

Police arrived at the scene of the accident shortly before 5:30 p.m. Monday, whereupon, as indicated by the arrest report, they saw that a 2004 Honda Pilot had traveled across the left turn lane, over a curb, and into the column. The impact of the collision was enough to break the front, driver's side wheel off the vehicle's axle.

In the report, police said that there was no evidence that the driver, who was identified as Boggs, had attempted to stop before colliding with the column. The report said Boggs appeared to be drowsy and spoke slowly when talking with police, and that he could not remember what happened before the crash. As members of Washington County/Johnson City EMS removed Boggs from his vehicle, police said, officers found an unmarked bottle with 17 50-mg pills of Tramadol Hydrochloride, a pain medication, inside his jacket pocket.

Boggs was taken to Johnson City Medical Center for treatment, after which, police said, he became combative and argumentative with hospital staff to the point where he was sedated to undergo treatment. He remained under hospital supervision until around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Once he was released from the hospital, Boggs was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and unlawful possession of a prescription drug. He was taken to Washington County Detention Center, where he was being held on a $2,000 bond. He will appear in Sessions Court Wednesday afternoon to face his charges.